What Can I Do With the Bulbs I Picked Off of My Canna Lily?

Question

This is my frist ever Canna Lily people- so bear with me because I think I may’ve done something wrong. I had a Canna Lily in my garden this summer I purchased from the local gardening store (not sure how it was grown). I bought it, took it home and transplanted into my garden. I assumed it came from a bulb because what started as one plant w/maybe 2 stalks eventually grew into one plant w/5 or 6 stalks.

I fell in love with this plant, and I dug it up to keep it growing in the house through the winter (I’m in Det, MI- zone 5a or b I think; not sure which). Before I dug it up though, I noticed an occassional bulb or two would brown and fall off, so I plucked them all off then dug it up and potted it for the winter inside my home. But what can I do with these bulbs I have? Do I have to dry them out or some other prepping process? Do I store them in the fridge or something or can I immediately replant them? Will they grow? And as far as the mother plant, how do I keep it alive through the winter time, because its leaves are now browning and kind of crisping. Did I use the wrong kind of fertilizers or something?

Answer 1

It may be difficult to keep the canna from going dormant over the winter. Most indoor environments just can provide enough light. But, letting the canna go dormant is a common practice and then you can plant the bulb again next year. This article will help with that:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/bulbs/canna/storing-canna-bulbs.htm

I think what you picked was seed pods. You can plant the seeds. Here is more information about that:
http://www.cooltropicalplants.com/growing-canna-from-seed.html